Reiatsu is Thicker Than Water
by Vashkoda
Summary: A glimpse of Isane and Kiyone's lives before becoming Shinigami, and what led them down that path.
1. Crossroads

**BLEACH: REIATSU IS THICKER THAN WATER**

**by Vashkoda**

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or its characters.

Author's Note: This story isn't very long, and should fit into two chapters. I might even have tried finishing it all tonight, if I hadn't remembered that I should be studying instead. -.-;

Warning: Nudity is mentioned but not described. And in case you have any concerns or false hopes, there is no homosexual coupling in this fic.

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Isane lingered in the dusky streets of the North Rukongai 31st District, watching as the last of the day's shoppers collected their precious purchases and hastened home. The market square's many stalls were already in the process of being disassembled; their wares bundled and carried somewhere safe. Rumors of the kinds of activities that took place there after nightfall kept most self-respecting citizens away.

Of course, Rukongai 31 had few of those. It was just close enough to the lower-level districts to occasionally spot a noble's carriage passing in the distance, but the shacks and crumbling buildings could not mask the place as anything but a slum.

She wasn't exactly certain what made her pause on that corner and watch the last of the merchants shuffle away. There hadn't been anything worth sticking around for. The entire day had been a disappointment and she suspected the night would be as well. This place held no new mysteries for her; she had seen it all before. She knew all the names worth knowing, had explored every secret, and yet still found herself unsatisfied. She often entertained the thought of taking up a trade, but would reject the idea almost instantly. No, her quick mind and skills of observation had always been enough for her. Those who chose to spend their afterlives slaving away at a job were either stupid, masochistic or forced into it to support their families. Isane had no one to care for but herself, which suited her just fine.

It was while pondering these thoughts that she felt a tug on her sleeve, and she whirled around in surprise. So much for her powers of observation! Isane noted in relief that she faced a young woman, much shorter than herself, clutching at a dark cloak. She took a step back, however, not trusting what might be hiding beneath the fabric. Isane had seen others lured into a false sense of security by seemingly innocent-looking strangers.

"I don't suppose you know your way around here? I need to find a healer!"

Isane cocked an eyebrow at the woman as she quickly studied her. The urgency of her question might excuse some of her rudeness, but it gave Isane one more reason to be suspicious. She didn't sound local, although her question told her as much. Isane then suffered yet another shock as she caught a glimpse of a finely embroidered blouse beneath the cloak. The look of surprise was not lost on the stranger, and she grimaced and pulled the cloak more tightly around her shoulders.

"Before you get any ideas, my family would probably disown me before paying any ransom. I do have some money to repay your efforts, but I need enough left for the healer."

Isane rolled her eyes at the woman's suggestion. "Luckily for you, you've come upon the one person here who knows anything worth finding in this dump. And I'm probably the only one who won't try to rob you."

The stranger looked doubtful, which Isane tried not to take as an insult. Instead, she bowed slightly and presented herself. "My name is Isane."

There was a slight pause of hesitation or impatience, Isane could not tell which, before the other returned her bow. "I am Ko- ...I am Kiyone."

Isane realized the stranger was withholding her family name on purpose. Either they really had disowned her, or she was trying to protect them. Isane went through a quick mental list of noble families, but she was really only aware of the main five. She had never seen a noble up close, much less speak to one, and had never really thought to learn more about them.

All she knew for sure was that there must be something seriously wrong for one to be wandering around North 31, looking for a healer no less. Finally, a mystery worth solving! Isane tried to keep herself from grinning.

"All right then, Kiyone-san. Follow me."

Isane assumed the woman was in a hurry to find the healer, and tried to keep their pace at a brisk walk. She was surprised when this proved to be too fast for Kiyone, who called out to her to stop, before breaking into a fit of coughing. Isane was then struck by an uncomfortable notion, and mentally kicked herself for not realizing it sooner.

"The healer... it's for _you?_"

The noble nodded weakly, taking advantage of the pause to lean against the alley wall and catch her breath. "I'll be all right, the disease is still in the early stages."

Isane made a face of revulsion. "You could have warned me! I don't want to catch whatever you have." Few diseases were fatal in the afterlife, as long as they were treated. But they could certainly make you feel miserable, and medicine was expensive. It might be a trivial matter for a noble to get sick, but for Isane, it would mean giving up her freedom and getting a real job. It was something she simply wasn't ready for.

Ignoring her remark, Kiyone asked how much farther they had left to go. Isane grumbled that she was taking them there by the safest route, which meant they couldn't go there directly; it would be at least another hour. Isane almost fell over in shock when she heard foul cursing from the woman's mouth. Was this really what nobles were like? Isane had expected to hear more traditional, well-mannered speech, with constant bowing and exchanging of honorifics. But Kiyone had yet to even call her by her name, and irritated by that fact, Isane decided to stop addressing the other woman directly until she did the same.

"What about food? Is there anywhere to buy food close by?"

Isane was amazed that the noble could be thinking of eating at such a time and place. But she did know of a vendor nearby who worked late and wouldn't mind preparing a meal, if Kiyone really _could_ pay.

It turned out that she could. Isane tried not to stare at the coins flowing into the vendor's palms as Kiyone poured out a handful from her pouch. The vendor had no trouble believing her noble birth, and made several illustrious bows and compliments to her as she ate her dumplings and stew. Isune grudgingly admired the other woman's ability to swallow the food without complaint, as she was sure she was used to better. She was surprised at Kiyone's appetite, which seemed to be endless. When she finally appeared close to sated, she waved at the vendor to take the rest away. As she rose from the table, she seemed startled to see Isane, as if she had forgotten she was there. Blushing fiercely in embarrassment, Kiyone asked if Isane would like any food herself.

"No thank you. I consider eating food wasteful when you're dead."

This statement made Kiyone blush all the more. In this awkward state, Isane finally felt a little more tolerant towards the noble, and let go of her resentment. The generous offer of food had also not gone unnoticed, even if it was only an afterthought.

As they resumed their trek towards the healer, Kiyone seemed to sense the change in Isane's mood, and thawed a little herself.

"I don't eat for pleasure, you know," she said suddenly. "It's the sickness. It drains your energy so that you're always hungry."

Isane had never heard of such a thing, but decided to believe her. Kiyone seemed to be expecting her to say something, and seemed disappointed when no response came.

"You don't say much, do you, Isane-san?"

Isane was so shocked to hear her name spoken that she lost her step and tripped backwards. Kiyone, who was following close behind her, reached out and grabbed her to stop her fall.

"I usually keep my thoughts to myself. I prefer to observe and let others do the talking." She nodded her thanks at the other woman for catching her, then they both resumed walking.

"And I suppose you think I'm an interesting subject to study?" There was an edge to her voice as she asked the question, then she laughed mirthlessly. "I'm probably not like the other nobles you know."

Isane snorted in amusement. "That might be true, but I don't know any other nobles. We don't see too many here in the 31st District..." Isane let the sentence hang, wondering if Kiyone was ready to reveal more of her story. Several possibilities had flashed through her head--maybe her medical bills had finally become too much for her family to support her. Maybe she was running away to escape an arranged marriage. Or maybe she was just bored of the pampered noble life and wanted to see how the rest of the world lived.

Kiyone didn't answer right away, seemingly lost in thought. "I guess I hadn't noticed how far I'd gone," she said cryptically, then went silent. As this could hardly count as an answer, it left Isane feeling rather irritated at her again. They continued on in silence, until Isane finally spotted the crooked mantle over the healer's door.

"That's it over there," she said, nodding at the single story building. Like its neighbors, the walls were crumbling away, leaving holes in places--the largest where a section of roof had fallen in. Kiyone threw it a dubious glance, but had the courtesy not to voice her thoughts aloud.

Isane decided to follow her inside, more out of curiosity than any concern for the woman's safety. The healer had a reputation for being secretive and eccentric, but also dangerous. Isane reflected on the stories she'd heard about him, wondering about some of the outrageous things he supposedly asked of his clients in return for his services. For all her boasting about knowing North 31 like the back of her hand, the Shaman was one mystery Isane had intentionally left unsolved. Some information simply wasn't worth the price.

Her first glimpse of the Shaman surprised her. The man sat cross-legged on the dirt floor of his hovel, illuminated by the glow of several large candles. A dirty brown cloak hung from his shoulders, which appeared to have been patched together from the fur of some animal. His skin was covered in markings that were dizzying if she tried looking at them for too long. She turned her gaze instead to his face, which was mostly hidden behind long strands of jet black hair. Into the hair he had woven multiple small objects--shells, beads, feathers, and fragments of bone. In others, Isane trusted this appearance would be almost comical. In the Shaman's case, it was a clear warning of danger and unpredictability.

"You are the healer, I assume?" asked Kiyone shakily. She looked uncertainly at Isane, who could do nothing but shrug. The woman had asked her for a healer, and Isane had brought her to the only one she knew would be available after dusk. Some people might have preferred to risk dying during the night if it meant they could wait to be treated by someone else, but the noble had made her case seem urgent.

The head lifted as his gaze met hers. "I am the Shaman." His voice was surprisingly smooth and warm. "I perform healing, as well as other things."

Kiyone took comfort in this and approached him with a bow, presenting her bag of coins. "Please sir, I have need of your services."

Isane was surprised at the other woman's sudden respectful manners and tone. It seemed she could be polite when she wanted to be.

The Shaman shook his head at her offer. "I have no use for money."

This statement seemed to shock the noble for a moment, but she quickly recovered and made a show of looking at their surroundings. "Surely there's something you need. At the very least, you could pay for a servant-"

Isane inwardly gasped at the implied insult. That woman was far too outspoken for her own good; she was going to get them both killed! Isane began to edge towards the exit.

"Servants. Yes, that's an idea." The Shaman sounded pleased, and Isane paused, thinking the danger just might be over.

"You and your friend will become my servants."

The two women froze in shock. Isane was the first to speak, her mind racing as she tried to think of a way to escape this mess. "Shaman-san, I am not with her. I only came to show her the way."

"But you are responsible for her."

Isane's throat felt horribly dry as she scrambled to put together some excuse. "Shaman-san, I do not really know her and I-"

"You brought her here, so you are responsible for disturbing my meditation. Now you will take your money and buy food for yourselves, then return here straight away."

"Hai, Shaman-san," said Kiyone, bowing deeply. She grabbed Isane's elbow and pulled her towards the door. As her mind raced, Isane found her feet guiding them automatically back towards the vendor. Eventually, the noble's voice broke through her thoughts.

"Are you planning to escape?"

Isane wondered if she was asking out of guilt, or out of fear that the Shaman might refuse her request if Isane did not agree to help. Isane reluctantly shook her head. It was foolish to think she could ever hide from such a man. She had heard enough stories to know what came of trying. What really stung was that she had _known_ to stay away from him, and yet she still let her curiosity get the better of her. Whatever came next, she knew she deserved it.

"He shouldn't have involved you," said Kiyone, sounding angry. "The deal was between me and him. I don't care what he thinks, you're not _responsible_ for me."

"Let's not worry about all that now," sighed Isane, wanting to let the matter drop. She raised her arm tiredly and pointed at the food vendor's home.

"Let's hope he remembers your purse. I don't think he'll be happy to be woken up."

* * *

Kiyone's anger had largely dissipated by the time the oddly dressed man had led them into the forest clearing. The moon was bright; in fact it was brighter outside than it had been in the Shaman's home. She wondered why he had felt it necessary to bring them all the way here. She glanced at the person beside her, the one who called herself Isane. The tall lavender-haired woman still clutched at the bag of food they had purchased, instructed to bring it along with them. The look of unhappiness on her face was expected, but Kiyone also detected traces of fear. Surely the older woman wouldn't have led Kiyone to this man if there was anything to be concerned of? True, bringing two young women to an isolated part of the woods might be considered suspicious, but he couldn't be planning to... no, surely _not!_

"Sit down here and eat something. I'll be right back." The Shaman took off his fur cloak and spread it on the ground, perhaps offering it as a place to have their meal. Kiyone glanced at it uncertainly, wondering if it might be cleaner to eat on the ground. Apparently Isane thought the same thing, as she made no move to come near it.

"Thank you, but I don't need to eat," Isane said simply, passing the bag of food to her.

"_Both_ of you will eat," growled the Shaman, startling them. "I don't need either of you passing out when I release my reiatsu." That said, he disappeared through the trees.

Isane watched him go, then shrugged and reached for a piece of fruit. Kiyone was secretly amused as she watched the other experiment at taking bites and swallowing.

"It's easier to make the food go down if you chew it up a little first," commented Kiyone absently, trying not to look directly at Isane as she said so. She took a bite of cheese and demonstrated. Isane frowned, but followed her example and now seemed to be enjoying the experience much more.

It wasn't long before the Shaman returned, and the air once again became tense. They both put down what they had been eating and watched him expectantly.

He now carried a clay bowl filled with thick black liquid. Putting it down in front of him, he called Isane over. "You there, how steady is your hand?" The woman appeared confused by the question. "Never mind, just sit here and do as I do."

Kiyone noted that without the cloak, the wild markings tattooed around the Shaman's arms were clearly visible. He dipped his fingertips in the black fluid and retraced the thick jagged lines running down to his palms, motioning for Isane to copy him. She started distrustfully at the clay bowl for a moment, then gingerly wet her fingers and followed his motions. When he appeared satisfied, he scooped up another handful of the liquid and proceeded to draw a large circle around them. Then he motioned for Kiyone to step inside.

"Now kneel and take off your shirt."

Both women rose to their feet in outrage, momentarily forgetting their fear of the man. Kiyone had instantly lost all respect for him, and began to reconsider her earlier suspicions.

"...Unless you enjoy getting ink all over your fine clothing? Really, it makes no difference to me. I will acquiesce to your feminine sensitivities, however, and allow your friend to mark you instead of me."

Kiyone glanced askance at Isane, who merely shrugged, indicating she would go along with whatever the noble decided. Kiyone released a long breath of frustration. "Are you sure this is necessary?" she asked.

"Your infection is in the lungs; it is clear to any who know the signs. Therefore, to reach it I need your back and chest marked to guide the healing energy where it needs to go."

"All right," she muttered, unbuttoning her blouse. Isane came up beside her, and had the courtesy to avert her gaze whenever possible. She seemed as uncomfortable as Kiyone felt. The Shaman stayed at her back, instructing Isane where to draw the lines or motioning at the symbols on his own chest. At last, he placed Isane's hands over the kneeling woman's shoulders, and stepped to the edge of the circle. Everywhere the black ink had touched, a green light began to glow. Kiyone shivered, feeling both cold and strangely drained.

The Shaman began to chant, though his words made no sense to her. Fire on the Eastern river? Ribbons in the twilight sky? There was a rapid succession of numbers as well. Kiyone closed her eyes and stopped trying to listen, instead focusing on keeping her body from shaking.

Not long after, she realized the man had stopped chanting. Opening her eyes, she was surprised to see the glow of dawn on the horizon, and noticed that the green light too had died.

Kiyone touched the black markings on her skin, realizing the ink had dried and that it would now be safe to put back on her shirt. She did so quickly, wondering all the while where Isane and the Shaman had gone. His cloak was lying where he had left it, and realizing that she was still cold, Kiyone gave up her misgivings and wrapped it around her.

She was going to need a bath anyway, she reasoned. She took a whiff of the cloak and was surprised to find it was actually clean.

Happily, she opened the bag of food and decided the others wouldn't mind if she already got started on breakfast.

* * *

"So how long do you plan on keeping us as your servants?" Isane asked. That question had been bothering her all night, but it was only now, after the exhaustion of the ritual, that she chose to let go of her self-restraint and bring the matter out in the open.

The Shaman took his time answering as he knelt beside the riverbed and rinsed out the clay bowl. Isane had been surprised to find that the ink inside had turned to ash, but after seeing it light up like emerald fire, she supposed it was not entirely unexpected. She was grateful that the markings on her arms had washed away easily.

"I think that young woman was grateful to have you present during her healing."

Isane looked at him hopefully. "Well then, now that it's over, can we leave?"

The man chuckled, and Isane's hopes sunk. "It will take more than one healing to rid her of that sickness." He took notice of the crushed look on her face. "Come now, is working for me so bad? I think it's a fair trade. You get to learn something new, and I get the pleasure of your company."

Isane wondered if the solution to that was to make her company less pleasurable. But then she decided that it would not be wise to provoke him, either. Those rumors about him kept coming to mind.

"Maybe we ought to get back to the clearing? I'm not sure it's safe to leave Kiyone-san alone there."

The Shaman laughed lightly again as he teased her. "I see. You'll take any excuse you can find not to be alone with me?"

Isane was becoming more and more uncomfortable with this man. He seemed to take the hint, and gathered the rest of his things.

"Don't worry, I left a trace there. The animals of the forest will not come near it."

Isane was grateful when he said no more to her on the walk back. Kiyone had apparently awakened and already finished the rest of the food. She looked at the Shaman guiltily, and explained that she couldn't help herself.

"That's all right, we'll go back to town now and get more," he smiled. "Then we'll return tonight for the next part of your healing."

Kiyone's gaze fell. "I thought we were already finished? I feel a lot better, Shaman-san," she insisted.

"Yes, it will take many more tries...maybe a full month," he said, looking at Isane. The latter sighed.

It seemed she had no real choice in the matter.

They returned that night to the forest. Kiyone had seemed stronger, and Isane began to entertain some hope that maybe the Shaman was wrong, and that Kiyone would recover sooner than expected.

"Shaman-san, why do we keep coming to the woods? Wouldn't it be better to do this inside, where it's warmer?" the noble asked, shivering.

The healer shook his head, causing the bones and beads twisted in his hair to clatter wildly. "I cannot draw enough reiatsu to heal you if we were in the city. Not without attracting unwanted attention."

Isane wondered whose notice he was trying to avoid, and whether she might be able to use it to her advantage. Although if the Shaman really was dangerous enough to be wanted by the special forces of the Sereitei, she didn't think it would be wise to risk getting on his bad side.

Again they were instructed to eat, while the healer disappeared into the woods to prepare the black liquid. Kiyone asked if she could be shown how to mark herself this time. Isane helped guide her, then took over her back where she couldn't reach. It went much more smoothly this time, and as the Shaman chanted, Isane thought she could actually feel his reiatsu coursing through her hands. Isane was blinded by the glow, and wondered how they were able to control this much energy without burning up. And how could one simple disease require this much healing?

They repeated the routine for several more days, each time becoming more proficient, until Isane believed she could speak the incantations herself if the Shaman had asked her to. He seemed content to guide the rituals himself, however.

After so much exposure, the two women realized that they could now identify the flow of reiatsu by sight as well as touch. It was Kiyone herself who made the discovery one night that the energy for the healing was not coming from the Shaman, but from the two of them.

"I have little power of my own," he admitted when they brought this matter up to him. "But I can help guide those who do. The power I have is borrowed from the life force of the creatures around me. It is an ancient form of kidou, which was practiced by humans known as the Quincy. That is why I prefer coming to the woods, where the natural energy is strong."

His voice suddenly took on a more menacing tone. "The Quincy have always been hated and hunted by Shinigami. Those fools do not realize that when we die, our souls come here just as theirs do. But with the memories of our past lives clouded, few of us remember." He shook his head sadly, and looked straight at Kiyone. "You, for example."

Kiyone's eyes widened. "Me?" she squeaked.

"Yes, I could tell the moment I saw you. The Quincy always have a certain look in their eyes, for we do not see the world as others do. Our vision is sharper, but like birds, we are fascinated by colors and fanciful things. The Quincy were once famous for their decorative uniforms, and were amongst the most famous tailors. But if they chose, they could turn their needles to the purpose of stitching flesh, and were greatly respected as healers." The Shaman motioned at his shaggy cloak, and with a smile, remarked that his gift had certainly not been in sewing.

It was beginning to dawn on Isane why she herself had begun to see the world differently. She had been entranced by the beads and feathers in the Shaman's hair on more than one occasion, and found herself envious of Kiyone's fine clothes, which she normally wouldn't have spared a second thought over. Was this a side effect of merging her reiatsu so often with Kiyone's during the rituals?

And if being obsessed with appearances was one of the signs of being a Quincy, Isane wondered just how many there might be in the noble houses. Wouldn't that be a scandal, if the Sereitei's most respected families turned out to be the Shinigami's most hated enemy!

"Yes, you too can now grasp what I mean, Isane-chan. Your souls have merged often enough that your reiatsu's are almost identical. It is almost like you are sisters."

Neither Kiyone nor Isane seemed to know what to make of that. Isane was more disturbed by the Shaman's sudden use of her name.

With these revelations, Isane realized they had reached a kind of crossroads. The Shaman had willingly exposed a few of his secrets, at the same time reminding them that they all shared some common ground. He was now waiting to see what she and Kiyone would do; whether they might commit to staying beyond the completion of the healing, or escape from him and reveal his whereabouts to the Sereitei.

Isane knew what Kiyone would decide. The real question--and they all knew it--was where Isane's own loyalties lay.


	2. Choices

**BLEACH: REIATSU IS THICKER THAN WATER**

**by Vashkoda**

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or its characters.

Author's Note: Okay, I lied. This will take three chapters.

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A week had passed, and Isane had yet to make a move, one way or the other. Whether he felt encouraged by this, or simply took it as a sign that she needed more convincing, the Shaman had begun spending more and more time with her. This behavior hardly surprised her, but what was really infuriating was that Isane found herself starting to enjoy his attention.

It was all thanks to that damn Quincy reiatsu, she was sure of it.

The other day he had called her beautiful. _Her_... _Isane! _Convinced he was making fun of her, she glared at him and stormed off, ignoring his pleas to return. She had been told many times by others how plain-looking she was, or how she was too tall for any man to ever want to be with. Even her hair was long and wild--she had never been able to do anything with it.

The next morning she had been surprised to find that he had braided feathers and glass beads into her hair. She was so fascinated by the colors and the glimmer that she could not stop staring at them. As she was distracted, the Shaman reached over and embraced her from behind, asking if she now believed him. She was so flustered that she tore herself away from him and ran off again.

The morning after that, she discovered that he had pierced her ears while she slept, adding more shiny trinkets to them. At this point, his plan was backfiring, as Isane saw it. She was _very _disturbed that he could get so close to her during the night without waking her, and it gave her all the more incentive to stay away from him.

Except that a part of her actually enjoyed his gifts, and didn't want him to stop.

From then on, Isane slept with one eye open, worried about what the man might try next. She swore to herself that if he ever tried tattooing those markings on her, she would kill him.

It was to Kiyone's credit that she never laughed when she saw Isane, as she knew that she must look absurd. The girl even complimented her once or twice, which made Isane conclude that all three of them must be completely insane. She would not have been surprised if Kiyone began sewing herself a fur cloak just like the Shaman's.

And then there was the issue of Kiyone's connection with her. As they continued to perform the healings, Isane felt her spirit bonding with the other woman's more and more. It was to the point where she could almost feel Kiyone when she was nearby, and sense what she was thinking. One time, Kiyone had even spoken Isane's thoughts aloud, word for word.

That was what finally drove the two of them to go to the Shaman and ask him to break their bond. He pointed out that if he did so, Isane would no longer be able to help with the rituals. By that point, however, Kiyone had become much stronger, no longer showing signs of any illness, despite the Shaman's assurances that the treatments were not complete. Both women felt they could risk it. Isane suspected the man was really only worried that Isane would leave, now that Kiyone no longer needed her.

The Shaman drew the markings on them and spoke the incantation, scowling his disapproval the entire time. Finally, it was done--their connection was severed. The two women realized that they could no longer hear each other's thoughts, and smiled in relief.

Isane expected that the changes to her vision would eventually fade as well. Already she was noticing and remembering how drab and cold the world really seemed. The sparkling jewels in the Shaman's hair had once again reverted to dirty feathers and broken bits of bone. Isane almost felt like crying.

There were other consequences. Whether her mind was reeling from the sudden separation from Kiyone's spirit, or the gradual loss of Quincy sight, Isane began having very vivid dreams. The images were so distorted--and the situations so frightening and bizarre--that she would wake up in a cold sweat, her heart racing.

If she hadn't been worried about her sanity before, she definitely was now.

Kiyone's health had also made a turn for the worse. Isane was amazed at how much weaker she seemed, and wondered if the woman had previously relied on their combined reiatsu to sustain her. Isane continued to attend her healings, if only as a spectator. She had not overtly agreed to remain with them, but she did not feel right leaving Kiyone when she was so ill. Part of it was guilt, true, but Isane had also become attached to the noblewoman during their time together. Jokingly, Isane had called her _nee-san_ a few times after the Shaman made his comment about their similar reiatsu. Kiyone had not liked that one bit, and although Isane had felt somewhat hurt by that reaction, she now knew a way to tease her whenever Kiyone decided to be annoying.

And part of her--_yes, she admitted it!_--wanted to stay for the Shaman. She tried not to let the rational part of her mind take over whenever she thought about him. Even if she could no longer see the beauty in either of them, she still had her memories, and trusted that it had been real.

To her dismay, with the change in Kiyone's condition, all of the Shaman's attention was now focused on the other woman. He tried to make it up to Isane by involving her in the occasional healings he performed for other customers, teaching her more kidou. Isane knew that he needed to continue performing these services in order to be able to feed the three of them, for Kiyone's money had not lasted long. Unfortunately, now that Isane had developed her reiatsu, she was constantly giving off spirit energy, whether she actively used it or not, and she actually needed to continue eating or she would grow too weak to move. She now focused very intently on the Shaman's lessons, thinking that if she did leave him, she might have to try eking out a living as a healer herself in order to afford food.

She watched as the Shaman marked his latest customer with the ink. She had now learned enough to know that the odd cross-like symbol on the person's skin was not part of the normal kidou, but the Shaman had been using it to begin all of his rituals. When Isane had asked him about it, he became secretive, saying it was merely a form of 'Quincy magic'. Well, that was fair. In breaking her bond with Kiyone, Isane had effectively rejected her membership as a part of that special group. The Shaman may even have taken it as a personal insult.

Isane decided to step away from the healing a moment and check on Kiyone. For regular customers, the Shaman performed healings in his home; saying their treatments didn't require enough reiatsu that he needed to go to the woods. That also enabled them to keep a close eye on Kiyone, who now spent most days in bed. She didn't suffer from nightmares like Isane did, but Isane had noticed that Kiyone always looked exhausted no matter how many hours of sleep she had.

She pulled open the screen separating the rooms and looked down at the other woman. Underneath the blankets, she still wore her noble finery, including a new pair of gloves that the Shaman had bought her. Before her relapse, Kiyone had complained that his mysterious ink always stained her fingers, and that she would be too embarrassed to show her hands in public. His thoughtful gift had surprised the two women.

She seemed to be sleeping deeply, and didn't wake even after Isane called out her name. She decided not to disturb her, and instead chose to take a walk outside and get some air.

Isane noted sadly that the surrounding buildings were falling apart more and more every day. The Shaman had told her not to worry; that they were all uninhabited because people feared to live so close to him. There was also a smell in the air that was all too common in poor neighborhoods of the Rukongia; the stench of dank and mold, and of death. Isane had once looked into the neighboring buildings to see what could be causing the smell, and saw a vision as bad as any of her nightmares. There were rats everywhere, some piled on top of one another in little mounds ...every single one of them dead.

After putting a fair distance between herself and the Shaman's home, Isane was able to take a deep breath and finally relax. It surprised her how much better she felt being away from there, as if a great weight had been lifted from her soul. It was during moments like this that the pull to escape the Shaman was strongest, and she had to fight with herself to make her go back.

By the time she returned, the customer had already left and Kiyone had awakened, hungry as ever. Kiyone was still strong enough to feed herself, but just barely. After their meal, it was once again time to go to the forest. She could not exactly say why, but this time Isane found herself filled with dread. An image of the dead rats flashed briefly in her mind.

Isane told herself it was just her nerves.

After Isane and the Shaman had carefully seated Kiyone at the base of a tree, propping her body up against it, he left them alone to prepare. These moments were awkward, and Isane occupied herself by looking anywhere except at the other woman. It pained her to see how frail she had become.

"You look too serious, Isane-san. Don't worry, Shaman-san said I would recover."

Isane grimaced. "You looked like you had recovered two weeks ago. Now, you can barely sit up. I don't know why your body isn't responding to the treatment."

Kiyone shrugged, but then she wasn't concerned; she had absolute faith in the Shaman. Normally Isane wouldn't have questioned his abilities either, but something was obviously wrong.

"I'm sorry it's taking so long, Isane-san," she said guiltily. "I know you were hoping to be gone by now."

"Hmph. Don't worry about it."

"Ah, that's right. You aren't staying for my sake." Kiyone smirked, then drew an invisible heart in the air with her finger. "It's Shaman-san who's keeping you here."

Isane sighed in irritation. "You're an idiot, _nee-san_."

The other woman just laughed. Isane couldn't help but join in.

"So then, if you don't decide to stay, what will you do with yourself?" asked the younger woman when the laughter had died down.

Isane sighed. "I'm not sure. I thought maybe I could start my own healing business, maybe in another district so that I wouldn't compete with the Shaman."

Kiyone looked thoughtful. "Well, you could always come to my family's district. We don't have anyone nearly as good as you, Isane-san, or I would never have had to come here. Anyone with talent automatically leaves to train with the Shinigami, and is never again seen outside the Seireitei." She paused and looked over Isane's shoulder.

"Except for you, of course, Shaman-san."

Isane stiffened, wondering if the Shaman had overheard her talk of leaving. Although she still hadn't made any decision, she was secretly curious what was now going through his mind. Was he angry with her? Was he worried?

The Shaman startled her as he stepped out of the shadows. Isane was surprised the other woman had even known he was there.

"That's all right, Kiyone-san. I always understand what you mean."

Those words were spoken so tenderly that Isane had to fight down a brief moment of jealousy. She glanced at the Shaman, wondering if he was trying to provoke that reaction on purpose, but he wasn't even looking in Isane's direction.

"Excuse me," she mumbled, climbing to her feet. She threw Kiyone a quick smile to reassure her that she was fine, and started walking away from the clearing.

That man was so infuriating! She was surprised at how much she could both love and hate a person at the same time.

After wandering for several minutes, hoping to cool off her anger, she realized that she no longer had any idea where she was. Losing herself in the woods in the dead of night was not a wise idea, even if most wild animals might sense her reiatsu and choose to leave her alone.

Reiatsu... that was her answer. She reached out with her mind to try and locate the Shaman's reiatsu. It would have to be easy to find, considering the amount of energy that went into one of Kiyone's healings. Indeed, after a few seconds of searching, she managed to pick up his energy signature.

Except that it wasn't coming from just one location. She detected multiple sources of the man's spirit energy throughout the forest. Surprised, Isane followed the nearest one, noticing that it flickered and grew weaker as she approached. When she finally saw the source, she gasped softly in dismay.

A sparrow lay gasping on the grass. Even as she neared it, it couldn't summon the strength to move. The bird merely watched her with terrified eyes, its little heart racing.

There was no doubt that the reiatsu she felt was coming from the bird, even if the signature belonged to the Shaman. Somehow they were connected, and it didn't take long for Isane to piece together how.

_Why are you surprised?_ her inner voice mocked. _He told you why liked coming to the woods. He revealed that he was a Quincy, and that he needed to draw reiatsu from others to perform his kidou._

The kidou... his special Quincy magic. Suddenly she understood the purpose of that mysterious cross that he used to mark his customers.

_But he's using that energy to heal others!_ she argued with herself. _Could such a thing be wrong if it helps save lives?_ She had gladly shared her own energy with Kiyone when it was needed. In fact, back then Kiyone had seemed fully recovered. Now she only seemed to grow weaker.

Like the bird.

She was instantly on her feet, sprinting as fast as she could through the forest, tracing every flare of reiatsu she could find, knowing that one of them had to be the Shaman. Or Kiyone. Already she realized that she couldn't distinguish their reiatsu; they must have intermingled as much as hers and Kiyone's once had. Except the Shaman was on the receiving end of the power transfer this time. And maybe he had been back then, too. She desperately tried to remember if she had ever seen him draw the cross on her or Kiyone.

Isane cursed herself for not recognizing earlier signs. She passed more and more dead or dying animals, reminiscent of the rats she had seen. Of course, when the Shaman had been performing rituals at his home, he had to draw power from whatever was available nearby. Not even the spirit particles making up the buildings had been spared, explaining why his neighborhood was literally falling apart.

Clearly some of the power he fed on had to be used to perform the promised healings, or people would have grown suspicious. But it was also obvious that he drew much more than he needed, and was still continuing to leech energy from Kiyone. What on earth could he be storing all that energy for?

Isane's anger towards the Shaman returned full force as she realized that she had been played. Had he been manipulating her feelings from the start? Surely it was to his advantage to try to keep her and Kiyone with him as long as possible, perhaps until he had completely drained them of all their reiatsu.

_That bastard!_ She would show him. When she finally found him she'd--

What could she do? The Shaman was vastly more knowledgeable and powerful than either her or Kiyone, especially with the store of energy he had been building up for who knew how long. No, her priority was to get Kiyone away from him before her life force was drained completely.

Except that it had never been done. No one escaped the Shaman, or if they had, none survived. Perhaps he had only to concentrate on a person's reiatsu to be able to draw from it, even at a distance, as he was doing to the buildings and the animals. But no, if he could do that, he would be drawing from everyone in Soul Society. Human souls must be different; they must require a direct connection or conduit.

Like the cross.

It wouldn't surprise her if traces of the cross stayed on a person's soul even after the physical mark had washed away. That would explain why Isane had never seen him marking it on either of them. He would only have needed to draw it once--perhaps one night when they were asleep--and they would forever again be linked to him.

Now that she knew what to look for, she searched deeply in her soul for such a mark. Indeed, there it was, just as she had guessed.

She was about to flare her reiatsu and destroy the cross when she realized that the move would alert the Shaman, and force a confrontation here and now. No, she wasn't ready! In fact, she probably never would be; the gap in their powers was just too great. Maybe one day that would change, but she highly doubted he would let them live that long.

There _was_ _one way_ she could exact her revenge, but it involved a great deal of luck. If her plan failed, he would definitely kill them.

The hardest part would be keeping her mind hidden from him. She could only pray that he wasn't able to read her thoughts as Kiyone once had. Now that he likely had a strong mental bond with Kiyone, Isane realized that it was too risky to share her plan with the other woman. She was on her own.

_Calm down, you're going to give yourself away! _she chastised herself, trying to keep her heart from pounding so loudly.

Isane slowed her pace to a walk as she approached the last source of reiatsu. It had to be Kiyone; the nearby animals would not have lasted this long.

She spotted the Shaman leaning over Kiyone's body, and her heart skipped a beat. Seeing the chest rise and fall, she was finally reassured that the Shaman had not killed her. At least not yet.

"So you have returned, Isane-san," he remarked. "Did you have a nice walk?"

Isane fought down her fear. "Yes I did. But it's far too cold to be out here much longer, Shaman-san. Let's bring Kiyone back to your home. I will do all the necessary cleaning there."

The man looked ready to protest. Nevertheless, she was the "servant". He couldn't exactly tell her not to to do her job.

Kiyone had to be carried, and remained sleeping the entire walk back through the streets of the Rukongai. Isane had no trouble holding her; she was as light as a feather.

When they had returned, Isane lay her friend down and covered her in blankets. She looked up at the Shaman, who was silently watching both of them.

"Shaman-san, Kiyone is getting weaker every day. I want to help her get better. Is there anything I can do?" She didn't have to fake the tears that now rolled down her face; she was terribly worried for Kiyone.

This was where she waited to see if he took the bait.

"Isane-chan, you have already broken your bond with her. You will never again be able to share your reiatsu. I warned you about this before," he told her softly, laying a hand on her shoulder in comfort.

"But what if you bonded with me, Shaman-san? Then you could still use my energy to help her."

The man hesitated. Isane knew that he was _already _drawing power from her, so in fact she wasn't really offering him anything new. But if they did make this bargain, he would be given opportunities to draw larger amounts of energy from her without giving away what he was doing. Isane suspected that it had been extremely frustrating for him to have to leech their energy so slowly each day.

"If that is really what you want, Isane-chan."

Isane bowed her head, trying to hide her smile. "Thank you, Shaman-san."

He drew out the jar of ink, and began marking her skin. Isane had noticed that with his tattoos, he never had to worry about washing or reapplying the black liquid. It must be extremely convenient, but not something she would ever have done to her own body.

Green flames rose from the ink. Isane shielded her eyes for a moment, then opened them to find that the Quincy sight had fully returned. It would not be long now before their bond grew strong enough for the Shaman to enter her mind and discover her plan. She had to act quickly.

She reached out with her spirit to search out other sources of energy. She ignored the human souls she saw, knowing that she could not touch them; the ones in Rukongai would have no reiatsu anyway. As she focused the Sight, she could make out the individual spirit particles making up each body of energy, and could see where the Shaman had been chipping away at them over time. The neighboring buildings were on the verge of collapse. Every rat and other small animal of the 31st District had already been killed.

But Isane wouldn't just limit herself there.

She expanded her senses, testing just how far she could go.

"Is everything all right, Isane-chan?" The Shaman was beginning to look at her strangely.

"I'm fine, Shaman-san," she said, trying hard to keep the strain out of her voice. "I just need a moment-"

There, that should do it! She couldn't imagine how thin she must have spread herself to cover so large an area; or how many individual connections she had made. There was no time to think. She had to act now.

"Begin the ritual, Shaman-san. Please, accept my energy."

In her mind's eye, she found the Quincy cross he had drawn on her. It was like a door linking their two spirits, which he could open at will to pour her energy into him. She gathered up the threads of reiatsu she had used to make her own connections to the powers of the Rukongai, and waited for him on the other side of that door.

At the last possible second, she thought she saw shock register on his face. Luckily by then, it was far too late to stop it. She tapped into every source of spirit particles she could find, even her own formidable reiatsu, and unleashed it all as a mighty stream of righteous fury.

A deafening crash echoed through North 31 as dozens of buildings simultaneously collapsed, their foundations of spirit energy depleted. Elsewhere, the rats and mice of other districts were dropping like flies. And if anyone had looked out their windows in the direction of the Shaman's home, they would have seen a brilliant green flame race up into the night sky, then vanish just as quickly.

It had not taken long for the Shaman to regain control. In fact, the blast hardly seemed to have had any effect on him.

"So it seems you have learned a thing or two, Isane-chan," smiled the Shaman. "I thank you for the nice charge of energy. It is unfortunate that I had to let so much of it escape, but there is a limit to how much I can absorb at a time." He motioned with his hands, and suddenly a bright bow of energy formed between them. The man grasped at it with one hand and used the other to summon an arrow out of thin air. He drew back on the bow and took aim.

"Nevertheless, I think you have now outlived your usefulness to me."

Isane couldn't move, weighed down both by the grief of her failure and the loss of all her energy. She heard a whimper beside her, and her heart fell even more as she saw that Kiyone had awakened just in time to witness their deaths.

"Isane-san?"

Isane forced herself into motion, interposing herself between the two as a shield. It wasn't much, but it was all she could do now.

"My, what a touching scene..."


	3. Consequences

**BLEACH: REIATSU IS THICKER THAN WATER**

**by Vashkoda**

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or its characters.

Author's Note: I can't believe this story lasted three chapters. Hooray for procrastination! Of course if I now fail my exam, I'm going to be really upset.

Warning: mild language

---------------------------------------

Kiyone awoke to a loud crash and the ground shaking. She was momentarily disoriented--she didn't remember where she was. She heard Isane-san and Shaman-san talking, and was instantly reassured. Whatever was going on, they would protect her.

Except that as she blinked the sleep out of her eyes, she saw the Shaman approach them menacingly. He held something in his hands--a weapon made of light that tugged at deeply buried memories in her soul.

Kiyone gasped in fear as she saw him take aim at her friend. What in the world was going on?

"Isane-san?" she cried. For some reason the other woman appeared unable to move. Then with seemingly great effort, she reached out for Kiyone, dragging her body over on her knees until she was directly in front of her.

The arrow remained pointed at Isane's chest. Kiyone struggled to free herself from her blankets.

"My, what a touching scene..."

The Shaman's body instantly oriented on the new voice in the doorway and released his arrow in one smooth motion. The shot resembled a thin stream of light that flashed as it struck the spot where the newcomer had stood. There was no sign of him now, and Kiyone had just enough time to wonder if the arrow had actually killed him, before she sensed a presence materialize behind her. Hands reached over and grabbed her and Isane, and suddenly she saw the world streaking by at impossible speed.

A moment later, they landed somewhere in the streets outside. The place was unfamiliar to Kiyone, as the avenue was lined with nothing but rubble. There was only a single building that seemed to be left standing, and she realized in surprise that it was the Shaman's home.

"Take care of these two. I want to question them later."

Their rescuer turned out to be a man with short black hair and four brightly colored feathers attached to his right eyelid. He was dressed in a dark uniform with a sword strapped to his waist, as was the man who now stepped out of the shadows and bowed to him.

_"Hai, Ayasegawa-san."_ These had to be Shinigami, which meant they had come here after-

The first Shinigami vanished before her eyes. Kiyone turned to look at the lone man who now guarded them. If she could only distract him, she and Isane might manage to go back there and help save the Shaman. She didn't know why he had been aiming an arrow at Isane, but was sure that in the confusion she had just been imagining things. The Shaman was a healer _and_ their friend; he would never have wanted to hurt them.

"Um, excuse me, but don't you think you should go with him?" she asked her guard. "He might need help."

The Shinigami looked at her like she was crazy. "Me, help an eleventh squad officer fight? He'd kill me if I tried a thing like that!"

Kiyone's hopes sank, and she turned to Isane to see if she had any ideas. But the other woman seemed oblivious to everything around her, and wouldn't respond even after she called out her name. Kiyone wondered if the blast that had destroyed their surroundings had addled her brains somehow, but on closer inspection of the area, she found that there was no residual energy from an attack at all. In fact, the spirit particles in the air around them were unstable to the point of near disintegration.

It hadn't been an attack from the Shinigami that had caused this destruction, she realized. No, it was a massive drain of spirit energy that could only have been done by a Quincy. The Shaman had warned them that doing such a thing would draw the eyes of the Seretei. For that reason alone, he could not be the one responsible, and Kiyone had been asleep, leaving only Isane... except that she couldn't have done this after breaking her spirit bond with Kiyone. Not unless the Shaman and her...

"You betrayed him," she whispered in disbelief. "Shaman-san... I thought you loved him."

Isane finally seemed to snap out of her daze. Kiyone expected her to look sorry, but instead, her eyes were on fire.

"He was only using us to collect spirit energy!" she shouted in outrage. "All this time, he wasn't healing you at all--he was draining your life force. And in case you hadn't noticed back there, he was ready to kill us both!"

Kiyone was stunned speechless. So she hadn't been imagining things after all. But the Shaman... why would he do such a thing?

"He's been stealing energy from his customers, and taken it from the living creatures in the forest," Isane continued, now shaking with grief. "There were so many dead creatures...the rats--oh god, Kiyone, his cloak!" She stopped suddenly, and grasped at the feathers in her hair. "Those birds--I can't believe I didn't realize-" She screamed as she tore them out of her hair, then struggled frantically to unwind the knots securing the many beads the Shaman had wound into them.

"Kiyone, help me--I can't reach them all!"

She was frightened to death to see her friend in such a state.

In desperation, Isane suddenly lunged at the Shinigami and unsheathed his sword before the stunned guard could stop her.

"Isane-san?" Kiyone whispered, too scared to make a move. She could not believe this was happening.

The tall woman aimed the sword at the back of her own head. The guard eyed her cautiously, surprisingly making no move.

Grasping a handful of her lavender hair with her free hand, Isane let the sword fall, chopping off the long strands. There was a clatter as dozens of brightly colored beads tumbled to the ground.

"No, Isane-san, please stop!" Kiyone pleaded, grabbing the other's hand. The first pass had missed several strands in the back and right shoulder, and Isane now lifted her arm to make another swing.

"I agree," said the voice of the officer, as he suddenly reappeared behind them and pried the sword out of Isane's hands. "Cut any more, and it will be a serious crime against fashion." He handed the sword back the guard, who had the sense to blush.

"Sorry sir, I was just curious whether she was going to try fighting me with it," he admitted.

The senior Shinigmai raised an eyebrow, causing the feathers over his eye to flutter. "Even for someone in this squad, I didn't think you'd stoop so low as to seek a fight with two helpless females."

Kiyone resented being called helpless, and was about to speak out until the Shinigami beat her to it.

"But sir, their reiatsu...!"

The officer preened his feathers as he studied the two women with a frown. "Yes, I suppose something must be done about them. Very well, resume the patrol, I'll take them to the Seireitei myself."

The Shinigami bowed and vanished.

"What happened to him?" growled Isane, her eyes once again flashing in anger. It was obvious which 'him' she was referring to.

"He's dead, obviously, or I wouldn't be so calmly standing here talking to you" said the officer, sounding bored.

Isane bowed her head and sighed in relief. Only then did Kiyone see her release the anger and let the tears fall.

"It's okay, nee-san, we still have each other," Kiyone said, reaching out to hold the other woman. Isane was much taller, but hunched over as she was in grief, Kiyone's shoulder was just the right height to cry on.

The Shinigami continued to watch them closely, as if they were a puzzle he just couldn't solve.

"That man back there clearly meant a lot to you. Was he your brother, perhaps? Your reiatsu is so similar... but then Quincy do not have reiatsu of their own."

Kiyone could feel Isane stiffen, and saw her quickly brush away the tears with her sleeve. Things were getting dangerous. They both knew how Shinigami felt about the Quincy.

"Oh don't look so serious--it causes wrinkles," admonished the officer. "Allow me to alleviate your concerns and tell you that I too, was born a Quincy. It's lucky for all of you that I was the one leading the patrol, or the Seretei would be in an uproar at the discovery of Quincy here. You will have to learn to be very careful not to go showing off your power to anyone who might recognize it." He motioned at Kiyone's hands. "Those gloves, for example. I hope you never actually activated them, or you could be in serious trouble if someone asked you to take them off."

Kiyone stared at the gloves in surprise. "I... I thought they were just normal gloves. Shaman-san gave them to me as a gift."

The Shinigami shrugged. "Maybe they are. I admit I don't know as much about our people as he did. Luckily, I knew enough to defeat him."

"Did he... did he tell you why he did it?" asked Isane, staring at her feet. Her anger seemed to have finally dissipated.

The man looked down at her kindly. "He said he regretted it all, in the end. He was angry at the way the Shinigami treated us, and wanted to make them see that the Quincy, too, could have power of their own-" he suddenly stopped and laughed at himself. "Look here, you have me saying 'us' and 'the Shinigami', but really, I am part of both. I suppose I am an example of what he hoped to become. And perhaps, what you too, can become."

Isane looked uncertainly at her sister. "You want us to become Shinigami?"

The officer nodded. "I think he would have wanted it, too. Maybe if he had had someone to show him the way, things would have ended differently for him. But I will be there to help you. I made a promise to him..." He closed his eyes, and seemed to be searching through his memory.

"What he regretted most, my dear, was what he almost did to you. He admitted to me how deeply he felt for you, and made me promise not to let any harm come to you." He smiled as he looked up at her, and reached to brush aside one of her four remaining braids to touch the beads dangling from her ear. "That is why I think you should keep these in his memory. I'm not sure he had the best fashion sense when it came to how he himself dressed, but in this I would agree with him--you look almost as beautiful as myself."

Isane seemed comforted by his words. Although Kiyone had always believed that her sister was beautiful, she wondered if the rest of the Shinigami's story was true. The man noticed her stare, and winked at her mysteriously.

"Come, let us get started. I assume neither of you have learned how to _shunpo_, so we have a long walk ahead of us."

Kiyone saw her sister looking back at the remains of the Shaman's home, as if not quite able to believe he was finally gone. Like its neighbors, the building had also finally collapsed in on itself, burying all traces of their past and the Shaman.

"What will happen to us now?" asked Kiyone glumly. She had trouble imaging her family's reaction to seeing her escorted home by an officer of the Gotei Thirteen.

"As I said, I will take you to the Seiretei. I don't know which of you was originally the Quincy," he said, looking back at them over his shoulder, "but both of you now have enough reiatsu to easily qualify for learning at our academy."

It then dawned on Kiyone that it wasn't only Isane who had gained abilities from the merging of their souls. Kiyone had also received a gift--the spark of reiatsu that enabled her to build up spirit energy of her own, which Quincy normally weren't capable of. Maybe that's what had made the Shaman so interested in her; she was not only a tool to amplify his ability to drain energy, but was now herself a source of power.

Of the two of them, Kiyone felt she had been the most blessed. She leaned over and hugged the older woman, who returned the gesture uncertainly.

"What's wrong, Kiyone-san?"

"Don't _'Kiyone-san'_ me," she said angrily in her haughtiest noblewoman voice, startling Isane and causing the Shimigami to look at her strangely. "I am _Kotetsu_ Kiyone!"

Isane might not have recognized the name--it was only a minor house, after all--but Kiyone had grown up learning how to speak with authority. She had been spoiled as a child, even more so after falling ill. Her family probably would even have permitted her to go explore the Rukongai as she wished, but never on her own, which was of course why she had done it. When she returned, she suspected that they wouldn't even punish her, happy enough that she was safe.

She might be pushing their tolerance a little far, but if she asked just the right way, she was sure she could also convince them to allow one other favor.

Isane was trying to mumble an apology, no doubt surrpised that the noble had suddenly demanded to be formerly addressed after they had known each other for so long. Pretending she didn't hear her, Kiyone went right on speaking.

"Your name is now _Kotetsu _Isane," she instructed in the same authoritive tone. "And you will address me as _nee-chan!"_

Stunned, the tall woman stopped dead in her tracks. Kiyone, calmly acting like nothing had happened, left her standing there as she motioned for the Shinigami to resume guiding them to the Seireitei.

"That was very nicely done," the Shinigami complimented her. Kiyone grinned, pleased with herself as well.

She looked over her shoulder and saw that her sister had still not moved. Poor thing; there were probably only so many shocks a person could handle in one day.

* * *

Yumichika Ayasegawa looked down at the infirmary from the second floor balcony. The two women had already been screened by the fourth division members on duty and were instructed to rest in the recovery area. Feeling a certain responsibility for them, Yumichika had verified with the medical team that they were both fine; merely exhausted. The younger sister had also shown signs of suffering from a recent illness, but the healers could no longer find any trace of it in her system.

"Those two are really remarkable," commented a soft female voice, shaking Yumichika from his thoughts. He sensed a new presence beside him.

"Unohana taicho," he greeted with a bow. "Thank you for agreeing to take care of them."

The captain nodded. "I would like to learn the details of how you found them, and what trials they have been put through, but I sense there are secrets here that I am better off not knowing."

Yumichika smiled gratefully. "Your discretion has always been appreciated, Unohana taicho."

"It is a requirement in this field of work," she said absently. "However, I think Ukitake taicho might benefit from speaking to them, especially the younger woman. It would reassure him to meet someone who had his illness, yet recovered. And maybe those two are aware of a healing technique that I haven't tried."

Yumichika continued to silently watch the activity below, until he spotted a familiar shiny round shape bobbing through the crowd. He turned back towards the captain to excuse himself, and saw that the she had already vanished. He then climbed over the railing and hopped down to greet his fellow squad member.

"Hey, Ikkaku-san! What are you doing here?"

"Getting more salve," he said, indicating the hidden compartment in the hilt of his zanpakuto. "Hey, did you spot those two women lying in the infirmary?"

"Hmmm? What about them?"

"I dunno," he said, scratching at his bald head. "I swear there's something strange about them, though. Something in their look that's familiar. Or maybe it's that odd glow in their reiatsu."

"Come now, Ikkaku-san, you must be imagining things. Have you been drinking?"

"No," he grumbled in disappointment. "I swear though, sometimes my eyes play the strangest tricks on me."

_Poor Ikkaku_, thought Yumichika. _One day, I really ought to tell him about the Quincy Sight_. He just wasn't sure how the battle-loving brute would react after learning what Yumichika had done to their two souls. It was probably better for everyone that he never find out.

* * *

A lone figure looked up at the impenetrable walls of the Seireitei, and silently vowed revenge at his prey. Even so, he knew full well that those two bitches who had betrayed him, and that damn Shinigami, were now beyond his reach.

The humiliation of his defeat still rankled him, as he went over it step by step in his mind.

_Kiyone and Isane vanished just as he loosed his arrow. He knew that the Shinigmai had come, drawn to the power Isane had loosed. He didn't know what kind of deal the two women must have made with his enemies, but he was not at all surprised when one appeared in time to shunpo them both to safety._

_"Come back and face me, you cowards!" he screamed. He would be ready for them. That girl might have sought to ruin his plans, but instead, she had charged his reiatsu to full capacity. Now they would all pay!_

_"Now now, there's no need to shout," said the same Shinigami who had appeared earlier. It didn't matter that the Shaman had only spotted one of them, he could sense that his home was being surrounded. It hardly made a difference anyway, and the more of them he took out in the initial blast, the better._

_He laughed in pure joy, not caring how crazy he might appear. "You were foolish to return, Shinigami! If you had run, you might have lived a little longer."_

_"Pshh, I never run from a fight, especially one that is just." The Shaman watched in disbelief as the fool just calmly stood there and examined himself in a mirror. "After all, I am the charming white knight, come to rescue the maidens and slay the evil dragon. I have to make it look good."_

_The Shaman ground his teeth in anger, determined not to miss a third time. He charged his bow of light and fired multiple shots in a spread that should have left the man no room to run._

_Except that once again, the Shinigami managed to dodge them--this time by leaping straight up, a direction the Shaman had not thought to cover. Somehow the was able to remain hovering in midair, only a few feet above him._

_"To be fair, I should have warned you from the start that I, too, was born a Quincy. I understand your motives, but I urge you to give up your grudge against the Seireitei. There are ways for us to co-exist in peace."_

_The Shaman snorted in disgust. "You call yourself a Quincy, yet you wear the clothes of our enemy. I don't know what lies they have fed you, but they will never accept us, and I will not accept anything short of their complete annihilation!"_

_The man had the nerve to look sorry for him. The Shaman wanted nothing more than to pound him into the dirt and wipe that look of pity off his pretty face. _

_"Then I am sorry that I must do this," the other said. He drew his zanpakuto, then ran his hand over the blade, altering its shape. "It might be more fitting to kill you with an arrow, but I'm sorely out of practice, so I'm afraid this will have to do. Bloom for me, Fuji Kujaku."_

_The Shaman had not been watching idly as all of this was happening. He reached into the vast supply of reiatsu at his disposal and selected an amount he thought should be enough to blast this clown and most of North 31 into oblivion. _

_"Die, fool!" he shouted, just as the Shinigami came at him with his weapon. He unleashed his power at point-blank range, laughing as he felt the energy crackling all around him, imagining the world burning and trusting that the stolen reiatsu was strong enough to shield him from the inferno._

_The flash of light lasted mere fractions of a second, and when his vision cleared, he saw that the world was untouched by his power. The Shinigami's blade had changed again, fanning out into four curved blades that were glowing white with energy. The Shinigami too, was glowing, and disgustingly unharmed. His eyes were closed and his face looked focused, and slowly, the light of his zanpakuto died._

_"There, I think I restored most of the reiatsu you've stolen. That was quite impressive; I can't imagine how much time it took you to collect it all."_

_The Shaman was seething. He didn't know how the Shinigami had survived, but if he thought he had used up all of his power in that blast, he was sadly mistaken. He reached back into his reserves... his reserves... _

_It was all gone. _

_"How did you..." he couldn't even frame the question. The concept itself was impossible. _

_"As I was trying to tell you, there are some benefits to training both as a Quincy and a Shinigami. I am afraid I cannot give you the opportunity to learn, however." The man took aim at him with his zanpakuto, and the Shaman found himself losing consciousness as the walls and ceiling came tumbling down on top of him._

He had no idea how he had survived, except that maybe the Shinigami had miscalculated how much reiatsu was left in him. Or perhaps he had simply underestimated the Shaman's sheer will to live.

He would have to start over; gather up his energy again for another strike. This time, he would be ready for the Shinigami. He would learn their secrets.

Dusting off his fur cloak, he took off laughing as he went to see if the food vendor's place was still standing. First things first, he would start with a meal.

... Then, he would see to learning how to summon a zanpakuto.

-

THE END


End file.
